Bolthole Index

Bolthole Index · Texas

Best Places to Live in Texas

Every Texas county scored on the Bolthole Index for seclusion, self-sufficiency, administrative boringness, durability, property autonomy, and carry cost. Cherokee County leads at 88/100. Use the rankings to compare counties by score, factor strength, and local constraints.

Nationally, Texas ranks #11 for homesteading and #14 for off-grid living.

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Counties by Index Score

    Off-grid & homestead laws in Texas

    How Texas treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. State law also feeds each county’s admin, autonomy, and carry factors; rules often vary by county.

    General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

    All 254 Texas counties, ranked

    1. 1Cherokee County88
    2. 2Sabine County88
    3. 3Rusk County87
    4. 4Nacogdoches County87
    5. 5Jasper County87
    6. 6Angelina County87
    7. 7Shelby County86
    8. 8San Augustine County86
    9. 9Newton County85
    10. 10Cass County83
    11. 11Anderson County82
    12. 12Titus County82
    13. 13Houston County82
    14. 14Polk County82
    15. 15Robertson County82
    16. 16Panola County81
    17. 17Tyler County81
    18. 18Walker County80
    19. 19Marion County80
    20. 20San Jacinto County79
    21. 21Red River County78
    22. 22Trinity County78
    23. 23Bowie County78
    24. 24Wood County78
    25. 25Franklin County76
    26. 26Upshur County76
    27. 27Leon County76
    28. 28Liberty County76
    29. 29Freestone County76
    30. 30Morris County75
    31. 31Grimes County75
    32. 32Lamar County74
    33. 33Harrison County74
    34. 34Camp County73
    35. 35Madison County72
    36. 36Delta County71
    37. 37Bee County70
    38. 38Mills County70
    39. 39Limestone County70
    40. 40Stephens County69
    41. 41Van Zandt County69
    42. 42Bosque County69
    43. 43Young County69
    44. 44San Saba County69
    45. 45Atascosa County69
    46. 46Hopkins County69
    47. 47Goliad County69
    48. 48Jack County68
    49. 49Hardin County68
    50. 50Fannin County68
    51. 51Refugio County68
    52. 52Eastland County68
    53. 53Colorado County68
    54. 54Lavaca County68
    55. 55Milam County68
    56. 56Rains County67
    57. 57Smith County67
    58. 58Kerr County67
    59. 59McCulloch County67
    60. 60Montague County67
    61. 61Orange County66
    62. 62Victoria County66
    63. 63Mason County66
    64. 64Somervell County66
    65. 65Lampasas County65
    66. 66Palo Pinto County65
    67. 67Brown County65
    68. 68Comanche County65
    69. 69Gillespie County65
    70. 70Hamilton County65
    71. 71Erath County65
    72. 72Henderson County65
    73. 73Matagorda County64
    74. 74Gregg County64
    75. 75Medina County64
    76. 76Taylor County64
    77. 77Coryell County63
    78. 78Jackson County63
    79. 79Coke County63
    80. 80Live Oak County63
    81. 81Frio County63
    82. 82Brazos County63
    83. 83Aransas County63
    84. 84Cooke County63
    85. 85DeWitt County62
    86. 86Wharton County62
    87. 87Brazoria County62
    88. 88La Salle County61
    89. 89Callahan County61
    90. 90Jim Wells County61
    91. 91Wise County60
    92. 92Hunt County60
    93. 93Kimble County60
    94. 94Real County59
    95. 95Nolan County59
    96. 96Webb County59
    97. 97Grayson County59
    98. 98Duval County59
    99. 99Uvalde County58
    100. 100Caldwell County58
    101. 101Kendall County58
    102. 102Falls County58
    103. 103Kinney County58
    104. 104Bandera County58
    105. 105Lee County57
    106. 106Burnet County57
    107. 107Chambers County57
    108. 108Fayette County57
    109. 109Hood County57
    110. 110Bastrop County57
    111. 111Karnes County56
    112. 112Gonzales County56
    113. 113Blanco County56
    114. 114Brooks County56
    115. 115Llano County55
    116. 116Edwards County55
    117. 117Jeff Davis County55
    118. 118Burleson County55
    119. 119Navarro County54
    120. 120Kleberg County54
    121. 121Starr County54
    122. 122Austin County54
    123. 123Hidalgo County54
    124. 124Sutton County53
    125. 125Hill County53
    126. 126Washington County52
    127. 127Montgomery County52
    128. 128Coleman County52
    129. 129Menard County52
    130. 130Jefferson County51
    131. 131Knox County51
    132. 132Wilson County51
    133. 133Jones County51
    134. 134Johnson County51
    135. 135Tom Green County51
    136. 136McMullen County51
    137. 137Gray County51
    138. 138Fort Bend County51
    139. 139McLennan County50
    140. 140Archer County50
    141. 141Parker County50
    142. 142Runnels County49
    143. 143Val Verde County49
    144. 144Galveston County49
    145. 145Waller County49
    146. 146Kaufman County49
    147. 147Clay County49
    148. 148Hardeman County49
    149. 149Maverick County48
    150. 150Foard County48
    151. 151Scurry County48
    152. 152Calhoun County48
    153. 153Ellis County48
    154. 154Fisher County48
    155. 155Cameron County48
    156. 156Ochiltree County47
    157. 157Concho County47
    158. 158Crane County47
    159. 159Bell County46
    160. 160Dimmit County46
    161. 161Schleicher County46
    162. 162Hays County46
    163. 163Howard County46
    164. 164Winkler County45
    165. 165Zapata County45
    166. 166Haskell County45
    167. 167Andrews County45
    168. 168Wichita County44
    169. 169Floyd County44
    170. 170Briscoe County44
    171. 171Ward County43
    172. 172Zavala County43
    173. 173Shackelford County43
    174. 174Reeves County43
    175. 175Comal County43
    176. 176Throckmorton County43
    177. 177Collin County43
    178. 178Stonewall County43
    179. 179Willacy County43
    180. 180Pecos County43
    181. 181Baylor County42
    182. 182Bexar County42
    183. 183Irion County42
    184. 184Mitchell County42
    185. 185Cottle County42
    186. 186Bailey County42
    187. 187Hale County42
    188. 188Moore County42
    189. 189Randall County42
    190. 190Presidio County42
    191. 191San Patricio County42
    192. 192Ector County41
    193. 193Nueces County41
    194. 194Sterling County41
    195. 195Deaf Smith County41
    196. 196Castro County41
    197. 197Dawson County41
    198. 198Wilbarger County41
    199. 199Gaines County41
    200. 200Donley County41
    201. 201Lamb County41
    202. 202Wheeler County41
    203. 203Hudspeth County41
    204. 204Crosby County41
    205. 205Brewster County41
    206. 206Childress County41
    207. 207Kenedy County40
    208. 208Hall County40
    209. 209Lipscomb County40
    210. 210Guadalupe County40
    211. 211Carson County40
    212. 212Travis County40
    213. 213Dickens County39
    214. 214Kent County39
    215. 215Collingsworth County39
    216. 216Parmer County39
    217. 217Jim Hogg County39
    218. 218Motley County39
    219. 219Sherman County39
    220. 220Midland County39
    221. 221Hockley County39
    222. 222Hutchinson County38
    223. 223Dallam County38
    224. 224Cochran County38
    225. 225Harris County38
    226. 226Upton County38
    227. 227Hansford County38
    228. 228Crockett County38
    229. 229Garza County38
    230. 230Yoakum County38
    231. 231Hemphill County38
    232. 232Terry County38
    233. 233Reagan County37
    234. 234Lubbock County37
    235. 235Williamson County37
    236. 236Swisher County37
    237. 237King County37
    238. 238Hartley County36
    239. 239Roberts County36
    240. 240Potter County36
    241. 241Lynn County36
    242. 242Martin County36
    243. 243Armstrong County35
    244. 244Oldham County35
    245. 245Glasscock County35
    246. 246Borden County35
    247. 247Dallas County34
    248. 248El Paso County33
    249. 249Terrell County33
    250. 250Tarrant County33
    251. 251Loving County32
    252. 252Culberson County32
    253. 253Denton County30
    254. 254Rockwall County30

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